St. Simons Island
St. Simons Island, GA
St. Simons Island is the most developed of Georgia's Golden Isles, with a historic pier and lighthouse anchoring a village of shops and restaurants a short walk from the sand. East Beach and the Coast Guard Station access give it real public parking, unusual for a barrier island this built up.
The pier, lighthouse, and village give it more genuine character than most Golden Isles beaches, though the summer dog ban near the pier and village crowd take some working around.
How we score beachesThe pier itself is off limits to dogs, so if you're bringing one, head straight for the Coast Guard Station or Massengale Park accesses instead, both with big free lots.
Free parking at the Coast Guard Station access (First Street) and Massengale Park (1350 Ocean Boulevard), both with large lots.
Boardwalks and paved paths lead from the main accesses to the sand.
Dogs are banned from the stretch between 16th Street and the pier from the Saturday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9am to 6pm. Outside that window, and elsewhere on the island, leashed dogs (10 feet max) are welcome under close control.
Water reaches the low 80s by August, inside Atlantic hurricane season, June through November. Spring and fall bring milder weather and a lot more room on the sand than a summer weekend.
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